Corpse-adjuster.



No. 771,729. PATBNTED 001244, 1.904. L- E. HOOKER & W. M. SHARP. GORPSEADJUSTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 12, 190g. RENBWBD APR. 9, 1904,

N0 MODEL, 2 SHEETS-SHEET l..

No. 771,729. PATENTED 007.14, 1904.

L. E. HOOKER & W. M. SHARP.

.GORPSE ADJUSTBR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1902. RENEWBD APB.. 9, 1904.

N0 MODEL` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented October 4. 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LESLIE E. HOOKER AND INARREN M. SHARP, OF BINGHAMTON, NEr YORK; SAIDSHARP ASSIGNOR TO'SAID HOOKER.

CORPSE-ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,729, dated October4, 1904. Application filed February 12, 1902. Renewed April 9, 1904.Serial No. 202,442. (No model To ft/ nimm t may concern.-

Be it known that we, LESLIE E. HOOKER, a

citizen of the United States, and VARREN M. SHARP, a subject of KingEdward, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corpse-Adjusters, ofwhich the following is a specification. Our invention relates to adevice for raising or lowering the whole or any part of a corpse to putit in acofiin or when it is lying in a coin to make it assume thedesired position.

The simple and novel construction used by us in carrying out ourinvention is fully described in this specification and claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective of a casket with our device attachedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of la fragmentof the same. Fig.3 is a detail section showing one of our elevators. Fig. 4 isa detailplan of one of the keepers. Eig. 5 is a detail plan of a fragment of thehead of a casket with a rnodied form of our device attached thereto.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the different viewsof the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a casket devoid of trimmings or upholsteringand having sides 2, a head 3, and a foot 4. Rigidly secured to the sides2 are a series of elevators 5, arranged in pairs opposite each other.Five pairs are shown in Fig. 1, but more or less may be employed,depending on the length of the casket. Each of the elevators 5 comprisesan endless belt 6, passing through slotted keepers 7 and 8, rig'idlysecured near the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the sides 2 ofthe casket. The keeper 7 bears perforated ears 7 1, which enable it tobe readily secured by screws, and is traversed by a slot 7lb toaccommodate the belt 6. The keeper 8 bears perforated ears S and istraversed by a slot 8b to accommo-V date the belt 6. The keepers 8 arerounded out at 8c to form bearings for a shaft 9, which extends thewhole length of the casket. There are two shafts 9, one on each side ofthe casket l. The belts 6 pass around the shafts, which form rollers forthe same. bearing cranks 10, are mounted vertically and secured to thesides 2. The crank-shafts 10 are connected to the shafts 9 by a fiexiblcshaft 11. By means of this arrangement the shafts 9 can be operated byturning the cranks 10a to lower the corpse.

Spanning the interval between each pair of elevators 5 is a slat 12,which extends transversely the casket and forms a support for thecorpse. These slats 12 are attached to the belts 6 by means of ears 13,carried-by the belts and secured to the slats 12 by rivets 13. Each ofthe belts is provided with an car 14, attached by stitching, whichserves as a handhold to operate the belts to raise the slats 12.

In order to hold the slats 12 against sidewise movement, a wire frame13h is secured to each of the slats 12 by staples 14a. This wire frameis iiexible enough to permit variation' in the heights of the slats 12.

When in use, the elevators 5 are secured to the sides of the casket inthe manner shown and the slats 12 placed in position and attached to thebelts 6. When the casket is ready, the ears 14 are grasped in pairs inthe two hands and the corresponding slat 12 raised. This is repeateduntil all the slats 12 have been brought up to their elevated positions.The corpse is then placed on the slats 12 and the cranks 10n operated tolower the body. It should be noted that operating the cranks 10a in theopposite direction will not drive the belts 6 to raise the slats, as thebelts would slip freely on the shaft 9, since the driving of the belt bythe shaft 9 depends on the friction between it and the shaft, and as theslats 12 are very light there is no pull on thebelts, and thereforelittle friction between the belt and the shaft. For this reason thebelts 6 are easily pulled up by hand. In the case of the downwardmovement the friction of the contacting portions of the belt 6 is sogreat that the belt cannot be operated bylneans of the ear; but whenweight kis applied to the slats 12 and the cranks 11L then operated thebody is lowered. The lowering of the slats may also be accomplished whenthere is no weight thereon by simultaneously pulling down onCrank-shafts 10, J

the ears 14 and operating the cranks 10a. It should also be noted thatthe rounded seats 8C prevent the upward movement of the shaft 9 and theconsequent binding of the belts against the keepers S-that is, againstthe upper side of the slot 8". Ihen it is required to close the casket,the HeXible connection 11 will permit the cranks 10iL to be depressedinto the dotted position shown in Fig. Q and engaged on hooks 15, seatedin the sides 2.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 both shafts 9 are connected to beoperated by the same crank. This is accomplished by using flexibleconnections 16, which are attached to opposite sides of a crank 17,located at the head ot' a casket. By operating the crank 17 through halfa revolution the slats 12 may be lowered as readily as before and by theuse of but one crank.

IVe do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as thesemay be modiiied in many particulars without departing from the spirit ofour invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for raising and lowering corpses, the combination of anendless belt, an upper keeper having a slot therein through which oneside of said belt passes, a lower keeper having a slot therein throughwhich both sides of the belt pass, a shaft journaled in said slot andengaging said belt, and means for operating said shaft, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a device for raising and lowering corpses, a series of endlessbelts arranged in pairs and mounted to be driven, slats connecting saidbelts in pairs, and means for operating said belts either simultaneouslyor separately to lower said slats, substantially as described.

3. In a devicel for raising and lowering corpses, the combination with acasket, of endless belts mounted on the sides or' said casket, slatsconnected to said belts and located to support the corpse, substantiallyas described.

L1. In a device for raising and lowering corpses, the combination with acasket, of keepers mounted on the sides of said casket, two endlessbelts mounted to travel in said keepers and arranged opposite eachother, a slat connected to said belt, and means for operating said beltsto raise and lower said slat, substantially as described.

5. In a device for raising and lowering' corpses, the combination with acasket, of slats located to support the full length of a corpse, andindependent means for raising and lowering each of said slats to adjustthe position of the corpse, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence oi' twosubscribing' witnesses.

LESLIE E. HOOKER. WARREN M. SHARP.

Witnesses:

R. B. RICHARDS, MAY E. LYNCH.

